5 Best Spy Apps for iPhone 2022

iPhone spy apps are an invaluable tool for parental control. These apps allow you to track your child’s physical location, see who they’re calling and texting, and ensure they’re safe on the internet. In this guide, we’ll review the best spy apps for iPhone and compare their functionality, pros & cons, and pricing so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Disclaimer

We do not condone or encourage the illegal or malicious use of trackware/spyware. If you intend to use such software on someone’s device, you should do so with their informed consent.

The 5 Best Phone Spy Apps for 2022

When looking for the best spy app for iPhone, you should consider the features that different spy apps offer, their compatibility with different iPhone models and operating systems, the apps’ stability and reliability, and their pricing plans. 

With dozens of iPhone spy apps on the market, it could take weeks to compare them. We did the hard work for you and have put together a list of the five best spy apps for iPhone in 2022:

1. Eyezy

   — Overall the Best iPhone Spy App for 2022

2. mSpy

   —  The Best Spy App for iPhone for Reading Deleted Chats and Messages

3. uMobix

   — Best iOS Spy App for Full Control Over Your Child’s Access to Social Media

4. Cocospy

   — Best for Spying on iPhones Without Physical Access to the Target Device

5. Spyera

   — Best iPhone Spy App for Live Call Listening and Recording

The Top Phone Spy Apps in 2022 Reviewed 

On the surface, all the best spy apps for iPhone offer similar functionalities, such as phone call monitoring, text monitoring, and location tracking. 

In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at each of the five best spy apps for iPhone. We’ll highlight their unique features, list the pros and cons of each app, and show you the different pricing plans, so you know exactly how much value you’re getting for your money. 

1. Eyezy — Overall the Best iPhone Spy App for 2022

Eyezy is one of the best iPhone spy apps for parental control. Apart from letting you see exactly who your child is texting and talking to, Eyezy allows you to control exactly what apps they’re using and for how long. 

If you don’t want your child using dating apps, or want to limit their time on TikTok or Instagram, you can set specific restrictions for each app with Eyezy. In addition, you’ll have full control over which websites they can visit to ensure they don’t access inappropriate content online. 

Another incredibly useful feature of Eyezy is the Plans Breaker. This feature lets you see your child’s social calendar, including places, dates, and the people involved. If they have a specific event saved anywhere on their phone, you’ll be up to speed and can prevent them from attending events you don’t approve of. 

The best part about Eyezy is that you don’t have to constantly monitor your kid’s phone. Instead, you can use the app’s Magic Alerts to set up smart filters. The app will automatically alert you whenever they call or text a specific person, type in a restricted word in their browser, or enter a specific location. 

Magic Alerts ensure you don’t miss any activity you would deem dangerous or inappropriate, so you can react in time. 

With so much to offer, it’s no surprise that EyeZy is also our top pick for the best phone spy app on the market.

Pros

• Full control over the apps and websites your child has access to

• Magic Alerts with instant notifications

• Screen recording and keystroke capture

• Invisible Shield so you can keep an eye on your child without being detected

Cons

• Expensive monthly plan

Cheapest Renewal Price
Supported Operating Systems
Number of devices supported
Free Plan/Trial
Refund/Guarantee

$10.00/month on a yearly plan

iPhones running iOS 7 – 13+ without Jailbreak

All iOS versions with Jailbreak

1

Demo

14 days

Visit Eyezy

2. mSpy —  The Best Spy App for iPhone for Reading Deleted Chats and Messages

If you want to see who your children are texting and what they’re chatting about on social media and instant messaging apps, mSpy is the best choice. 

While other spy software on iPhone only lets you see the chat logs on the target device, mSpy allows you to see every message — even the deleted ones. This is incredibly useful since your kid will probably delete certain messages and wipe chat logs if they know they’re being monitored. mSpy instantly uploads everything to an online server, so you’ll have access to all the data, even if it’s deleted from the monitored device.

mSpy also gives you access to all the applications installed on the device, so you can delete or block certain apps if you don’t want your child to use them. The same principle applies to the internet, meaning you can block specific websites, see their browsing history and bookmarks, and even block Wi-Fi networks. 

This undetectable spy app for iPhone lets you read all incoming and outgoing emails and see all the photos, videos, and other files on the device. You’ll have full remote control of the target device and can restrict access to certain features, delete unwanted applications and files, and remotely lock the device.

This also makes mSpy one of the best girlfriend spy apps around, although you must have consent from your girlfriend to legally and ethically monitor her phone activity.

Pros

• Full remote control of the device

• The ability to read deleted chats and text messages

• Access to multimedia files on the device

• Application and website blocking

Cons

• Expensive monthly plan

Cheapest Renewal Price
Supported Operating Systems
Number of devices supported
Free Plan/Trial
Refund/Guarantee

$11.67/month on a yearly plan

iOS 7 – 13+ without Jailbreak

All iOS versions with Jailbreak

1

Demo

14 days

Visit mSpy

3. uMobix — Best iOS Spy App for Full Control Over Your Child’s Access to Social Media

One of the best spy apps for iOS, uMobix is a crucial tool for parents who want to know what their children are doing on social media. 

The app enables real-time tracking of all popular social media, instant messaging, and dating apps, letting you see the complete chat history and the content your children interact with. Much like mSpy, uMobix also lets you see all the deleted info, so your child can’t hide anything from you.

Apart from checking the chat logs, you can use uMobix to create an application use schedule and restrict the time your kids can spend on social media. For example, you can block access to Facebook and Instagram during school hours to ensure your kid is paying attention in class instead of mindlessly scrolling on social media. 

It’s this sort of innovation that sets uMobix apart and means it’s one of our best Facebook spy apps.

As one of the best iOS spy apps, uMobix also features a Social Online Status functionality, letting you know whenever they log into any of their social media accounts on the monitored device. This provides an additional layer of control and allows you to leverage the screen recorder to see exactly what your kids use these applications for.

With uMobix, you can even access the phone’s camera and microphone and see/hear your child’s surroundings. This lets you “tune in” and see where they hang out, who they’re talking to, and what they’re talking about. 

Pros

• Social media usage scheduling

• Access to deleted info, texts, and chat logs

• Real-time streaming so you can see and hear your kid’s surroundings

• Keylogger and screen recorder to see exactly what they’re searching for and what content they interact with on social media

Cons

• Expensive for monitoring multiple devices

Cheapest Renewal Price
Supported Operating Systems
Number of devices supported
Free Plan/Trial
Refund/Guarantee

$12.49/month on a yearly plan

All iPhones and iPads

1

Demo

14 days

Visit uMobix

4. Cocospy — Best for Spying on iPhones Without Physical Access to the Target Device

Cocospy is the best spy app for iOS location tracking.

With Cocospy’s geofencing capabilities, you can set up marked zones on the map to get notified whenever the monitored device enters or leaves a particular area. This is a great way to ensure your child is not visiting dangerous neighborhoods or sneaking off to a party, concert, or event you don’t approve of. 

As well as location tracking, Cocospy excels at monitoring social media and instant messaging apps. It supports everything from Facebook, Instagram, Viber, and WhatsApp to Zoom, Skype, Tinder, and even Discord. You can view full chat logs of these apps and see any media being exchanged, including gifs, photos, and videos. 

The best part about Cocospy is that you can spy on an iPhone without installing software. All you need is access to the device’s iCloud login details, and you’ll be able to access all the data on the associated device through the dashboard. This makes Cocospy the best spy app for iPhone without access to the target phone. 

WARNING: There is a fake site set up to mimic Cocospy and scam people looking to use its services. Please DO NOT use the cocospy.com version of the site for your own security and only use cocospy.org.

Pros

• Allows you to monitor all popular social media platforms and instant messaging apps

• Doesn’t require physical access to the target device

• Lets you see full chat logs and media exchanges on all popular social media and instant messaging apps

Cons

• Lacks the ability to record phone calls

Cheapest Renewal Price
Supported Operating Systems
Number of devices supported
Free Plan/Trial
Refund/Guarantee

$12.49/month on a yearly plan

All iPhones and iPads connected to iCloud

1

Demo

14 days

Visit Cocospy

5. Spyera — Best iPhone Spy App for Live Call Listening and Recording

Spyera is the most feature-rich iPhone spy app on our list. If you want full remote access to all the target device’s features, Spyera should be your go-to spy app.

Once you log into the Spyera dashboard, you’ll be able to change the settings and enable/disable specific iPhone features, the same way you would if you physically held the device. 

As well as full remote control of the device, what we love about Spyera is the ability to set up SMS deletion keywords. This feature lets you create a list of words and phrases that the app will scan whenever your kid receives a new SMS. 

If Spyera flags any inappropriate words in the SMS, it will automatically delete the message without giving your child the chance to read it. This is a great way to keep them safe and prevent them from discussing certain topics that might be inappropriate for their age. 

Another standout feature of Spyera is call recording. If you want to hear exactly what your child is talking about with their friends, you can record phone calls and calls on all popular messaging platforms and listen to them at your convenience. 

Pros

• Full remote control of the device

• Live call recording and listening

• SMS keyword deletion

• Access to all media on the monitored device

Cons

• Doesn’t have a demo

• Over three times more expensive than the alternatives

Cheapest Renewal Price
Supported Operating Systems
Number of devices supported
Free Plan/Trial
Refund/Guarantee

$40/month for the yearly plan

All jailbroken iPhones and iPads running iOS up to and including 14+

3

No demo

10 days

Visit Spyera

How do iPhone Spy Apps Work?

There are two types of spy apps for iPhone — those that require you to install the app on the device you want to monitor and those that access the data on the device through iCloud. 

The former work by recording all the data on the target phone and uploading it to an online server. When you log into the spy app’s dashboard, you’ll access that server and will be able to see the contacts, call logs, SMS, chat logs on instant messaging apps, the device’s location, apps on the target device, etc. 

The dashboard also allows you to issue remote commands, such as deleting certain apps on the target iPhone, restricting access to specific websites, blocking Wi-Fi connection, and even remotely locking the device. 

On the other hand, spy apps that provide access to the device’s iCloud storage simply let you log into the iCloud from another device, whether it’s your phone, laptop, or desktop computer. All the data from the target phone is automatically uploaded to iCloud, so you’ll be able to see messages, photos, videos, passwords, and other information once you’ve logged in.

That said, this method is only possible if you have the iCloud login credentials of the target device and two-factor authentication is turned off. If the target device has two-factor authentication enabled, you will need to disable it manually before you can start monitoring the target iPhone or iPad. 

Why Use an iPhone Spy App?

There are a number of legitimate reasons why you’d want to use an iPhone spy app. The best spy apps for iPhone are most commonly used by parents of underage children who want to control their kids’ access to the internet and ensure they’re not searching for or interacting with inappropriate content.

You can also use iPhone spy apps to monitor the device’s physical location, block access to specific applications, read incoming and outgoing messages, and listen in on the calls made from the device.

Here’s a quick overview of the most common reasons for using an iPhone spy app.

Monitoring Your Child’s Online Activity

The internet has many dark corners, and it’s generally not a good idea to let your kids use it unsupervised. That said, you can’t look over their shoulders 24/7 or prevent them from using the internet when you’re not physically present. 

The best spy apps for iPhone let you set up restrictions and block specific websites to ensure your child isn’t accessing inappropriate online content. You’ll also be able to review their entire internet history and even set up filters, so you’re immediately notified when your child types in specific words or phrases into their browser. 

Monitoring Phone Calls and Messages

If you want to know who your kids are texting and calling and what they’re talking about, spy apps are a must. The best spy apps for iPhone let you review call logs, listen in on the calls, see all incoming and outgoing text messages, and read all social media chats. 

With apps like Spyera, you can even set up SMS deletion keywords to preemptively delete texts that contain sensitive or inappropriate topics.

Tracking the Device’s Physical Location

Location tracking allows you to see the device’s location history and set up restricted zones on the map, so you immediately get notified when your child enters a specific area. 

This lets you know where your kids are at all times, so you’ll know exactly if they’re at a friend’s for a sleepover like they told you or are sneaking off to a club or some other place or event you don’t approve of.

Finding Lost or Stolen Devices

If your child’s phone ever gets lost or stolen, you can use the location tracking function of the best spy apps for iPhone to easily find the device. You can also remotely lock the phone and even delete all the data on the device to prevent unauthorized third parties from accessing the information.

Can You Spy on an iPhone With Just the Number?

No, you can’t spy on an iPhone if you only have the phone number. If this were possible, virtually anyone could spy on you, your friends, and your children.

To monitor an iPhone device, you will either need to install the iOS spy app on the iPhone or iPad or use the spy app’s dashboard to log into the device’s iCloud, provided you have the login credentials. 

Can You Spy on an iPhone Without the iCloud Password?

If you don’t have the iCloud password, your only option is to manually install the iPhone spy app on the device you want to monitor. 

Keep in mind that, before installing the spy app, you are required to notify the person using the device that it is being monitored. Monitoring someone’s iPhone without their informed consent might be considered an illegal activity in your state. 

Are There Any Undetectable iPhone Spy Apps?

The best hidden spy apps for iPhone that we reviewed in this guide are all virtually undetectable. They work silently in the background, so your child won’t know when you are monitoring them, what information you’re reviewing, and when you’re listening in. 

While your child will know that you have the ability to monitor their iPhone and iPad, they won’t know whether or not you’re looking at any given point in time. That’s the true power of the best spy apps for iPhone — your kids will use the device more responsibly because they’ll know you can peek in whenever you want. 

Are iPhone Spy Apps Safe?

There are hundreds of iPhone spy apps out there — some of them are secure and reputable, while others are shady or outright scams. 

When it comes to iPhone spy apps, the last thing you want to do is download an unknown app from a shady website and end up feeding all your information to a third party. That’s why it’s crucial to choose an app from a trusted, reliable company.

The best spy apps for iPhone we reviewed in this guide are all 100% safe, have clear Privacy Policies, and have thousands of reviews from satisfied users. 

They don’t collect any of your data, nor do they have access to the online servers where the monitored device’s data is stored, meaning you’re the only one with access to the information. In addition, the best spy apps for iPhone all have state-of-the-art security features and are fully protected from hackers and other cyber threats. 

Free iPhone Phone Spy Apps

While many shady websites might promise you free spy apps for iPhone, we’re going to give it to you straight — there aren’t any you’d want to use. After performing extensive research, we can confidently say that most websites promoting free spy apps for iPhone are either listing unverified, shady apps or are simply promoting paid applications with money-back guarantees as “free.” 

If you take a second to think about it, it wouldn’t make much sense for someone to spend months or even years developing an app only to let people spy on an iPhone for free. As with any software development project, a lot of time, money, and effort goes into building an iPhone spy app, and the end goal of every developer is to make a profit. 

The closest thing to a free spy app for iPhone would be a free trial, but even that is a rarity in the spy app industry. 

That said, if you’re looking for free spy apps for iPhone because you don’t want to commit to a monthly subscription before seeing how the app works in practice, we have good news for you.

The best Spy Apps for iPhone all have refund policies that act as safety nets. If you opt for any of the spy apps we recommend in this guide and aren’t happy with them, you can request a full refund within 10 to 14 days of your purchase. 

Are iPhone Phone Spy Apps Legal?

Spy apps aren’t legal or illegal by default — their legality depends on how you use them. Spying on someone else’s phone without their knowledge or consent is considered an illegal activity in most countries around the globe, and is often punishable by steep fines or even criminal penalties.

That said, many countries allow you to use phone monitoring apps to monitor an underage child living under your own roof, even without telling them. However, this only applies if you are the legal owner of the device and the one paying the phone bills. 

Regardless, laws vary from one country/state to the next, so it’s best to familiarize yourself with all applicable laws before installing the application. To be on the safe side, we strongly recommend obtaining the child’s informed consent before you begin monitoring the device. 

When it comes to monitoring anyone other than your own underage child, the activity is illegal in most countries. The only exception is monitoring employees that are using company-owned iPhones and iPads, but only after obtaining their informed consent. 

How to Use a Phone Spy App for iPhone

Most spy apps have a pretty simple installation process and an intuitive user interface (UI), making them easy to use. We’ll use Eyezy as an example to show you the exact steps you need to follow to install the best spy app for iPhone.

Step 1: Purchase an Eyezy Subscription

Visit the official Eyezy website using the link below and click the Try Now button. 

Visit Eyezy

Enter your email, check the box to confirm you agree with the app’s Terms and Conditions and click Continue.

Step 2: Choose iOS as the Device You Want to Monitor

Select the Apple logo to proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Choose the Pricing Plan

Select the pricing plan that suits you the best. We recommend the annual plan, as it saves you more than $37 per month.

Step 4: Install Eyezy on the Device You Want to Monitor

Download the Eyezy app from the Apple Store on the target device and provide the application with all the required permissions.

Step 5: Start Monitoring

Open the Eyezy website on another device and enter your Eyezy login credentials to access the dashboard. 

Now you can monitor everything, set up smart alerts, block certain apps and websites, and take full control over the device remotely.

FAQs

What Is the Best Spy App to Spy on iPhone?

Our pick for the best spy app for iPhone is Eyezy. What we love about Eyezy is that it gives you full control over what websites your child can visit and what applications they can use. 

The app also features Magic Alerts that let you set up smart filters and immediately get notified when your child engages in any activity you don’t approve of. This way, you’ll know exactly what they’re up to and be able to react in time without having to monitor their iPhone usage 24/7.

Can You Spy on Someone Through Their iPhone?

Hidden spy apps for iPhone let you see everything someone does on the target device. Some of the best spy apps for iPhone even let you record their screen or access the microphone and camera to see where they are, who they are with, and what they’re talking to. 

That said, please remember that you must obtain the person’s informed consent before you can install the iPhone spy app and monitor their activity. 

Even then, you can only monitor your underage child or an employee, provided they are using a company-owned phone. In all other instances, spying on someone through their iPhone is considered illegal.

What Spy Apps Can Be Installed Remotely on iPhone?

Technically speaking, you can’t “install” any app on an iPhone remotely. However, you can monitor an iPhone without having to install the app on it by connecting the spy app with the synced iCloud. 

Cocospy, for example, lets you monitor the target phone by logging into the phone’s iCloud. One thing to note is that if two-factor authentication is turned on, you’ll have to provide a code that Apple will send to the target phone. Additionally, the Apple ID owner will be notified that you’ve logged into their iCloud using a different device. 

How Do I Spy on an iPhone?

To spy on an iPhone, you need to either install a phone spy app like Eyezy on the target phone or use the spy app to connect to the iCloud synced with the device. Please scroll back up and read our step-by-step guide on how to use a phone spy app for iPhone for more information.

How Do I Find Hidden Spy Apps on iPhone?

Spy apps on iPhone are usually hidden in unknown files, so finding them manually can be incredibly difficult. The trick is that iPhone spy app file names usually don’t contain the word “spy” in them and are disguised to look like system files, update services, or something similar.

If you believe someone’s spying on your iPhone without your knowledge and consent, you can install an antivirus or a spyware removal tool to scan your device and remove suspicious programs. Alternatively, you can perform a factory reset, but that will delete all the data you have stored on your device. 

Can You Spy on an iPhone Without Jailbreaking?

Yes, but that depends on the iPhone model and the app you’re using. For instance, Eyezy, mSpy, and Cocospy all allow you to spy on an iPhone without jailbreaking, but only if it’s running on iOS 7 through 13. For other versions of the operating system, you will have to jailbreak the device.

Conclusion: What is the Best iPhone Spy App?

After researching and comparing dozens of different spy apps, Eyezy is our top pick for the best spy app for iPhone. 

Visit Eyezy

That said, different spy apps have different functionalities, pros & cons, and pricing plans, so you might find that one of the other apps we reviewed suits you better. 

Here’s a quick rundown of the top 5 hidden spy apps for iPhone, so you can make an informed choice:

1. Eyezy

   — Overall the Best iPhone Spy App for 2022

2. mSpy

   — The Best Spy App for iPhone for Reading Deleted Chats and Messages

3. uMobix

   — Best iOS Spy App for Full Control Over Your Child’s Access to Social Media

4. Cocospy

   — Best for Spying on iPhones Without Physical Access to the Target Device

5. Spyera

   — Best iPhone Spy App for Live Call Listening and Recording

Remember, you can only legally spy on your underage child, provided that you’re the owner of the device, or on your employees if they’re using company-owned iPhones or iPads. In both cases, we strongly recommend obtaining the person’s informed consent. Spying on someone without their knowledge might be considered an illegal activity in your state/country.